Thursday, March 6, 2014

Thangs Yankees don know

When I made my magic propeller toy last month, I wasnt aware that it is called a Gee-Haw. Well, Daniel Stephens found a couple of great pictures. Yeah. a Gee-Haw Whimmy Diddle! I love it!



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Charlotte Perriand

As I searched through the list of designers, by images, for one that I did not know and whos work spoke to me. I discovered the chaise lounge chair of French designer Charlotte Perriond. This chaise has been used in countless design and fashion advertisements for many years. Although it has mostly been used as a prop, the chaise has never faded into the background. The chaise exemplifies simplicity, modernity, luxury, and most importantly comfort.

The B306 chaise lounge chair was designed in 1928!

Born in 1903, Charlotte Perriand went to the Ecole de lUnion Centrale des Arts Decorratifs, in 1920, to study the art of furniture design. After her schooling she went to Charles-Edoward Jeannet, better known as Le Corbusier, enquire about employment in his design firm in Paris. Where she was turned down because he believed women could only embroider. It wasnt until he saw Perriands roof top bar, that he actually saw what she could do and offered her a job in his company.

Perriand is also credited with introducing the "machine age" to furniture design and therefore to the inside. The "machine age" refers to the movement in the early to mid 1900s that accentuated and emphasized the "industrialness" of the machinery of that era. Such as the developments, like the assembly line, needed for the mass production for the consumerism culture that was just in its infancy. Or like the chrome plating metal process that sped up the time and effort needed to give metal a mirror shine. This can clearly be seen in her use of chrome tubing in the B306 chaise.

After leaving Le Corbusiers studio in 37, Perriand traveled to Japan as an advisor to the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Once there, she helped Japan to develop products that would be more desirable for consumers in the West. As World War II broke out Perriand was kicked out of Japan, but was unable to return to France because of a naval blockade. Because of the blockade, Perriand ended up stuck in Vietnam.

The time spent in Japan and Vietnam was not in vain and later influenced her work after returning to France in 46. She adopted the Japanese technique of using screens to change the space of a room, and also the craftsmanship of the Vietnamese woodworking skills. She created book shelves that divided rooms and translated her chaise into wood.

Perriand also combined the two opposing attributes of her past works, the mass market ability of the "machine age" and the naturalness of wood. She created a wooden stacking chair that needed the cold, "machine age" assembly line to make it affordable enough for the everyday person, yet contained the warmth of the wood. The chair needed machinery to bend the single piece of plywood into its shape, but it also displayed the proportions and the curves that it give it grace.

Perriand established herself as an architect by designing the United Nations League of Nations building in Geneva and as a collaborator for the French Tourist Office in London. She also designed a series of ski resorts in her grandparents town of Savoie.

Perriand died at the ripe old age of 96 in 1999; a very accomplished, ground breaking, timeless, tireless, forward thinking, architect, designer, artist, woman.





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Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Kids of Emek Hebrew Academy

Got a note from Jonathan Benzaquen who teaches at the Emek Hebrew Academy down in Sherman Oaks, California. This past semester, the school wanted to incorporate educational electives once a week into its curriculum.

Johnathan decided to teach woodworking to thirty 4th-5th graders once a week and thirty 6th-8th graders once a week. He is obviously a brave man!
"What began with three hack saws, miter boxes made from scratch and some glue and sanding paper, has slightly evolved to a drill press (donated by a grandparent), clamps and circular sander. Hopefully it grows into something more." 
In this age of vanishing shop classes, it inspires me to see a group of kids eager to work with their hands to build something useful and fun. Kids havent changed: our desire and commitment  to help them learn manual skills has.

Big thanks to guys like Johnathan who are willing to take on tasks like this and enrich the lives of so many kids.

Check out these sweet looking menorahs they made. After building them they made some Mere Mortal  whistles with the leftover wood. Oh, and look in the background of the group photo. Is that a WWMM logo back there?














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Pallet drink coasters

Little pallets

What better project to make with free pallet wood than little pallets! This drink coasters are super easy to make using any scrap wood you happen to have. The only trick is to use thin wood so that the scale is fairly accurate. The slats on most pallets are about a quarter inch thick.

I suggest planing them down to 1/16"; I shaved mine down to about 1/8" and they look a bit too thick. In the measured plans, I indicate 1/16". If you dont have a planer, you might look around in a craft store. Many carry small, thin pieces of wood.

The other issue is the width of the slats. In the plans, I have them ripped to 3/8" wide, which will yield nine for the top. I cut mine a little wider, allowing for only eight slats. I experimented with narrower strips in order to fit eleven on top, like an actual pallet, but it was too difficult and the slats just looked odd. Probably due to their thickness. If you are ambitious, you might use a couple different widths as is often the case on real pallets.

I used my router to make curved notches in the bottom two runners. If you dont have a router, or just dont want to bother, they would look fine without that detail.

You could assemble these using hot glue. In my experience though, hot glue is somewhat  difficult and messy to use. These could also be glued together with regular white school glue.

Plans:

  • Pallet drink coasters (pdf)
  • SketchUp version

*****






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Wood Bar Plans Wooden Ideas

wood bar plans How to Make a Wood Bar with Frank Fontana PDF Download














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Shannon Wright

Blog Post #1
Martin Puryears Use of Traditional Boatbuilding Techniques In His Sculpture

Folks, this is just an example for how you should do your blog entries. For your second one, go to "edit posts" and add the new one above this one.
-Shannon
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Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Woodworking Projects From Furniture Repair to Garden Sheds

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Bruce]Thomas Bruce
My woodworking memories go way back to my grade school days, where I was fortunate to be able to hang out in my parents furniture repair shop, it was a great after school job and at 50 cents an hour, I could earn some extra pocket money.
It wasnt until I finished high school that I began to realize the abilities and skills I had picked up from my Dad in the "shop". We had most of the basic stationary tools like a table saw, radial arm saw, wood lathe, and also had various kinds of hand and power tools that I was able to use and learn on. If we needed to fix something, we could do it there.
As for the business, customers brought in anything and everything made of wood that needed repair, such as chairs, tables, desks, and with most of these pieces we did a whole re-finish job, starting with the stripping tank to remove the finish, then repair and re-glue, which many times involved making duplicate parts if some could not be re-used or were missing. After a piece was rebuilt, we picked a stain color and sprayed them with the appropriate finish. Polyurethane finish was not around much then, so clear lacquer was the finish of choice. The only part we did not do was upholstery, another business did that for us.
Where ever I was in my adult life, if I could have access to a wood shop, I would make many of the things I needed or wanted such as shelves, ball & bat racks for the kids, bird feeders, or even Christmas gifts. Many of you have done the same thing so what I have done here is nothing particularly unique.
These are the things that interest me and I am fortunate to have been exposed to it as it prepared me for a natural progression into home repair and construction which has been my life profession. My Dad is still with me and I still look to him for his knowledge and input, as he has always specialized in fixing some very "UN-fixable" things over the years. The education for all of us never stops if we are willing to learn or try something new.
The information online these days is truly amazing, so someone without extensive or much experience on any given subject can benefit from the experience and education of others.
As with a lot of "hands on" type of skills, most of us just need to be shown the basics of a procedure or task, with some clear direction and with a little time and practice, can get good at it, and if you have your own project idea in your head about what you want to do, the help is out there.
So the idea about a bird house, a doll house, or an all out garden type multipurpose storage shed, or even a remodel, the directions and instructions are available from those that have already done it.
There is a wealth of ready made plans for the aspiring small project woodworker and week-end carpenter, and if you take that big step to build your own tool shed, garden shed, kids play house, or any type of multifunctional shed, it will become a source of pride and a valuable asset to your yard and family for years to come.
From small woodworking projects to larger backyard garden or tool sheds you can do yourself, visit http://wood-shedplans.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Woodworking-Projects---From-Furniture-Repair-to-Garden-Sheds&id=6645106] Woodworking Projects - From Furniture Repair to Garden Sheds
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Adrian Lopez Charlotte Perriand

Charlotte Perriand was a French architect and designer, who believed that better design helps in creating a better society. She said her inspiration stemmed from motor cars and bicycles on the streets of Paris. She was also nudged by a friend into reading a couple of books by Le Corbusier (Vers une Architecture and L’Art Décoratif d’Aujourd’hui). She later managed to arrange a meeting with the prestigious designer.

Although Le Corbusier had originally turned her away at the age of 24, a few months later, he saw her work on Bar sous le Toît (rooftop bar at the Salon D’Automne exhibition in Paris), and hired her to join his studio as a furniture designer. While there and with the help of Corbusier and Pierre Jeanerret, she produced a number of steel chairs, tubular in design, iconic of the machine age.

Charlotte put Corbusier’s principles of into action when designing three chairs for two of his projects Maison La Roche (a house being designed in Paris) and a pavilion job for his clients Henry and Barbara Church. Corbusier required that one was designed for conversation (the sling-back chair), one for relaxation (square shaped LC2 Grand Comfort), and a third for sleeping (B306 chaise lounge chair, inspired by 18th century day beds). These three were designed with chromium-plated steel bases and were cutting edge for the time. Perriand even modeled for the publicity shots, wearing edgy clothing.

Working with Le Corbusier definitely had an impact on Charlotte. ‘”The smallest pencil stroke had to have a point,” she later recalled, “to fulfill a need, or respond to a gesture or posture, and to be achieved at mass-production prices.’” She even tried convincing Peugeot, the bicycle company, to adapt its tubing for furniture use. When they declined, Thonet was used to produce a series for the 1929 exhibit Salon d’Automne. The installation was an apartment designed to be a display of modernity. The floors were made of glass which were lit from below, to create a visual effect against the glass ceiling.

Amidst the 1930’s she created a number of designs for Corbusier’s projects: the student lodgings at Cité Universitaire and the headquarters of the Salvation Army in Paris, along with works for Corbusier’s own apartment on rue Nungesser-et-Coli.

Taking inspiration from the furniture in Savoie, she began experimenting with more rustic materials, like wood and cane around the mid 1930s. Despite such materials seeming outdated or odd, she was convinced working with them would enable her to produce affordable works for a larger consumer base.

She left Le Corbusier’s studio to collaborate with Fernand Leger on a stand at the 1937 Paris exhibition, then a ski resort in Savoie. She then worked alongside Pierre Jeanneret and Jean Prouvé designing prefabricated aluminum buildings. She then traveled to Japan to serve as the advisor to industrial design at the Ministry for Trade and Industry. She found herself stuck in Vietnam between the years of 1942 to 1946 due to the naval blockade. While stuck in Vietnam, she studied local techniques of woodworking and weaving.

When she returned to France she undertook the task of reviving her career. She kicked this off with a job at a ski resort, then worked with Fernand Leger on a hospital. Finally she met up with Le Corbusier in Marseilles and aided in designing the Unité d’Habitation apartment building. The architecture materials she came across during her travels in Japan and Vietnam greatly influenced her work, especially with the inclusion of wood and bamboo. These themes found their way into her work at Méribel ski resort and the League of Nations building in Geneva, and the remodeling of Air France’s offices.

As in the case of Plurima, the influence of Japan and Vietnam is easily seen. The clean edges, and square divisions of space, and medium of wood all point to characteristics of Asian design. The sliding doors are also a known characteristic of Japanese buildings. This is fitting for her since her design-sense was constantly evolving, in her pursuit of modernity. ‘“The most important thing to realize is that what drives the modern movement is a spirit of enquiry, it’s a process of analysis and not a style..’”


















(Swivel Chair 1928-1929)



















(Fauteuil Dossier 1928)














(Chaise Longue 1928)











(Plurima 1983)


Sources

http://www.cassinausa.com/perriand.html

http://designmuseum.org/design/charlotte-perriand

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Cutting Boards and Utensils

Here are some more cutting boards. Most of my boards are made from walnut and either birch or maple. The odd duck here is an elm board made with salvaged elm from Kings Road in Sydney, NS. It incorporates some of the natural shape of the tree it came from. Also pictured are some wooden utensils. There are spatulas in walnut, ash and cherry (perfect for stir-frying) as well as a pair of elm salad tongs. These are about as close as I come to a production item. They are made in small batches, usually out of leftover wood from larger projects. The batch of cherry spatulas has just been soaked in mineral oil. Once the excess is wiped off they can be put to use. Enjoy!





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Make a wooden piggy bank

Last week I got an email from Janae Myers, suggesting I make a piggy bank. I liked the idea so much that I decided to focus my attention on designing and building one. Its really very simple to make, but with plenty of opportunities to offer your own artistic flair.

The construction is similar to a bandsaw box, with the sides glued on to a hollowed-out center. Using the entry point from the bandsaw makes for a great coin slot, albeit perpendicular to the direction coin slots normally run, I think.

To plug the bottom, I used a plastic grommet I picked up at the hardware store. Its the same one I used in my skull and crossbones candy dispenser. You could also use a cork.

The biggest decision I had to make when designing this, was how to deal with the pigs head. Traditional piggy banks look more like real pigs and have the head facing forward. I played around with various ways of doing this, but they all looked odd since my components are all essentially two-dimensional. By placing his head and face on the side, it compensates for this and gives it more of an appearance of a round, not flat head.

Its important to round over all the edges to make him as as soft and cuddly as wood can possibly be.

Free plans

Here are the templates I designed. You can print them all out on single sheets of paper. Use spray adhesive to affix them to the wood.

  • WWMM Piggy Bank (pdf)









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Monday, March 3, 2014

Pen giveaway free plans and happy birds

Note: The Inspiration Project will return next Tuesday.

*****

Got a note from 14-year-old Marcus Vandendaele from Harrisonville, Missouri who has been woodworking for two years. He makes a variety of projects, but has been earning an income selling his hand made pens. Hes already sold over 60 of them!

One of the toughest parts of running a business is getting the word out about what you do. Marcus doesnt have a web site, but maintains a Facebook page and is encouraging people to like it by holding a giveaway. All you need to do is like his page by August 31 and hell randomly select three winners. Whats he giving away? These two pens and a keychain. Head over and support him!



Wait, whats this? Marcus made one of my porch swing bird feeders too! 



Not only is it a fun project build, but it makes for a smooth transition into...

*****
Frank Tartes outhouse bird feeder! Hes been making and selling these for about $40. 


He also took the time to make up some free plans. Download them now, go forth and build bird feeders!

*****
And finally, heres something that may give you some more avian inspiration. Bill Wilson sent me over a picture of some wacky bird houses his uncle makes. (Another porch swing bird feeder in there too!) But I just love these houses. They remind me of Dr. Seuss.




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More trivets

Thanks to all of you all who joined in on the live show Saturday. It was certainly an interesting experiment. If I do it again, Ill try to smooth out the rough edges!

Wanted to share this. George Raburn made a bunch of trivets on Saturday after watching the show. Thats fast! Plus, its never too early to begin thinking about Christmas.


*****
Mere Minutes

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J Lo wearing my bracelet

Check this out. Jennifer Lopez has on a bracelet that looks suspiciously like one that I made last year!



Here are a couple I made:




Naturally, I can only conclude that J. Lo is a fan of Woodworking for Mere Mortals.



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Where to Buy Wood for Woodworking Your Local Shops Arent Always the Answer

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=David_Chett]David Chett
Whether you find yourself as a seasoned wood worker and just starting out, theres always the question of where to buy wood for woodworking projects. The more familiar stores such as Lowes or Home Depot carry lumber that is most commonly used but fails to carry most varieties often sought to be used. If this is the case, you can always look online for lumber liquidators also. While this is a good and positive source, you also have to deal with the added cost of shipping fees.
Before you decide to go out into the world of lumber purchasing, you need to understand a few things about the different types of wood. You will find (2) two main categories of wood; Softwoods and Hardwoods. When considering the softwoods categories, understand that this type of wood is generally used by construction industries with the purpose of framing and interior trimming. A few examples of softwoods include your cedar, redwoods, fir, and pines.
The hardwood is the more durable of the two and is often the preferred choice when building furniture, cabinets and flooring. In the hardwood category youll find maples, birches, mahogany, cherry, oak, and walnut. Also, when consider hardwood and softwood; understand that these direct terms do not refer to the hardness of the wood. Hardwood trees have broad leaves and are deciduous. These types of trees usually lose their leaves in the winter. Softwoods keep their leaves year around and are evergreens.
The reason hardwood is preferred for furniture is because they offer a large range of textures and colors than the softwoods do. Hardwood has two types of classifications which are domestic (U.S. grown) and exotic (Trees from around the world.) Youll also want to consider the grade of the wood when deciding where to buy wood for woodworking. The grade is a rating that refers to the number of the defects found in the wood. If youre interested in building furniture building, look for either first or second grade wood. The defects in these grades are not very noticeable. In case you find yourself needing to purchase your lumber from the internet, below is a list that has been compiled and put together. It contains the best lumber companies that we have found:
Woodcraft Supply: This company is one of the oldest and also largest suppliers of wood and woodworking supplies in the U.S. Woodcraft Supply currently has more than (70) seventy retail stores in major areas and distributes approximately 2 million catalogs each year. This company, also establish in 1928 has never been in danger of being shut down. It also offers a good selection of domestic and exotic hardwoods as well as stock pieces and veneers for your projects.
Rockler: This Company actually began as a mail order business in 1954. In 1978, it started to open retail stores. Today, there are (30) thirty Rockley Woodworking and Hardware Stores located throughout the U.S. It also stocks many varieties of wood to help with your projects.
Woodworkers Source: Established in 1978, this family-run business has (3) three retail locations in Arizona. It currently offers more than 100 options of wood to choose from and youll also find valuable information for any product youre considering. If that isnt enough, they also offer phone support.
Frank Paxton Lumber Company- This Company, established in 1914, offers a huge supply of wood for both domestic and exotic options. They have retail stores in Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Kansas City, and San Antonio and do a lot of work with businesses.
Visit my website at [http://www.answersforwoodworking.com]Answers for Woodworking for helpful tips and information on Woodworking
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Where-to-Buy-Wood-for-Woodworking---Your-Local-Shops-Arent-Always-the-Answer&id=6658838] Where to Buy Wood for Woodworking - Your Local Shops Arent Always the Answer
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Sunday, March 2, 2014

Master Bedroom

Isnt it funny how our tastes change over time?  Does anyone else experience that?  Our master bedroom was beginning to drive me crazy.  It was the bedroom/office and that setup just wasnt working if we wanted a relaxing place sleep.  So, we hauled the computer and desk out of there and decided to turn our bedroom into a relaxing place that we would look forward to being in every night.


We got rid of the barn door and iron bed frame that was there before and bought a new bed frame.  I spent an entire weekend making a new upholstered and tufted headboard with plywood, foam and fabric.  That sucker was hard and it isnt perfect but it works, we love it and thats what matters.


I was actually inspired by the art on the wall.  I picked it up at our shop and fell in love with the colors, the modern look of it, even though its vintage and the chippy frame its in.


The biggest change for me though is the mid century modern dresser my hubby found in a storage building he bought.  It was in perfect shape but was all wood and had funky wood handles that we didnt like.  We took those off, added new hardware and I painted the frame of it.  I really didnt think I would like something like that but I absolutely love it.  It might be my favorite part of the room.



To add a little bit of rustic, I made some tea light holders with logs from the back yard.  I simply chiseled the bark off and drilled a hold in the center.  I stacked them on top of some old books.  Before you send me hate mail, yes I know, fire hazard, but these are never left unattended.  :)



The color of the walls is Classic Gray by Benjamin Moore.


Im currently in the process of making a very cool piece of art to hang above the bed, so Ill be sharing that too.  And the carpet will be going too and will be replaced with something that will surprise you.

What do you think?  Totally modern for me but we are loving it and we finally have a peaceful room to sleep in or watch movies together without having to stare at a desk full of work.  :)

P.S.  Im now on Instagram if youd like to follow along in between posts!  Click here!
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Free Outdoor Furniture Plans Wooden Ideas

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